Emergencies FAQs

We’re a member of the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) which brings 15 leading UK aid charities together in times of crisis. So that we can raise funds quickly and efficiently.

The 15 charities are:

• ActionAid
• Action Against Hunger
• Age International
• British Red Cross
• CAFOD
• Care International
• Christian Aid
• Concern Worldwide
• International Rescue
• Islamic Relief Worldwide
• Oxfam GB
• Plan International UK
• Save the Children UK
• Tearfund
• World Vision UK.

Aid cuts are a betrayal of the world’s most vulnerable children.

The funding gaps we’re facing could force us to close down programmes that are a lifeline to children.

Cutting aid does not make the world safer. Poverty, conflict, and climate disasters don’t stay contained. They lead to more displaced people, increased instability, and bigger threats to international peace - including for the UK. Slashing aid makes the world less safe.

You can find out more and/or donate here.

We’ve been working across East Africa for may years. Running longer-term programmes alongside short-term disaster responses. Working together with local partners, governments and communities.

• In Ethiopia, we're supporting farmers with seeds, tools and livestock feed.
• In Kenya, we're training health volunteers to detect child malnutrition in young children, so they can support families in areas with high rates.
• In Somalia, we're providing emergency water supplies and building water stations for families in camps.

You can donate to the appeal here.

Together with local partners, we've helped more than 2.6 million people - including more than 1.1 million children - in Ukraine and the region over the last two years.

This is only possible because of people like you: since 24th February 2022, you raised an astonishing £400,000,000 through the DEC Ukraine Appeal.

Find out more about what we've done with the money so far and/or donate here.

Unrestricted funds are vital because they:

• enable rapid responses to emerging needs or crises, as well as long-term responses to emergencies that don’t make the headlines.
• support long-term strategic planning and innovation.

• cover essential operational and staffing costs that underpin all our work.

   

  Unrestricted funding is especially important when you consider the current landscape of charitable giving: 

• Unrestricted income predominantly comes from the UK public. The Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) 2025 UK Giving Report found that fewer people than ever are giving to charity – donations and sponsorship levels are at the lowest level CAF has ever recorded.
• Compared to 2019, there are 4 million fewer donors, and the number of people sponsoring  has fallen by nearly 6 million. 
• The public donated an estimated £15.4 billion in 2024, an increase from £13.9 billion the year before. But this was driven by a dwindling pool of donors making larger donations.  We continue to rely on an ever smaller group of people to give more. And this must be considered in the context of high inflation. 
• The decline in charity giving is especially profound among young people (Millennials, Gen Z),  which presents a real risk to the sustainability of the future of flexible funding. 
• The challenging economic environment continues to place significant strain on charities.
• The number of children and families in the UK and around the world who need our support is growing, but with less funding available and higher costs to cover. 
• In the context of the international development sector, more unrestricted funding is needed than ever to urgently address the steady rise in conflict, climate-related disasters, soaring prices and the worst global hunger crises in decades. 
• The scale and volatility of these increasingly complex crises demand agile solutions and the ability to be flexible in the face of an unpredictable and rapidly evolving landscape.

These funds may support a wide range of priorities, including programme development, core  infrastructure, staff training, policy and advocacy work, or strengthening local partnerships. 
They are always directed towards delivering the greatest benefit for children.

We have robust financial oversight and governance in place. Donors receive annual reports, impact updates, and real stories of children and families we work with that demonstrate how funds have been used effectively and ethically.

Yes, often a greater one. Unrestricted gifts allow us to act swiftly and strategically, ensuring support reaches children in overlooked crises or strengthens essential systems and services that designated funding often cannot cover.

Definitely. While unrestricted gifts aren’t tied to one specific project, we provide regular updates, stories, and thematic impact reports that show how your support has helped children be safe, grow up healthy and have the chance to learn.

We appreciate that unrestricted giving requires trust. That’s why we are committed to being transparent about how we use our unrestricted funds and to maintaining strong relationships with our supporters. Our track record demonstrates that we use these funds wisely and 
effectively.

Unrestricted donors play a unique and strategic role. Your support helps drive innovation, fund forgotten crises, and build long-term impact. It’s a smart, high-impact way of giving, trusted by those who understand the complexities of global development

The Emergency Fund (also referred to as the Children’s Emergency Fund by other members & Save the Children International) is an example of flexible funding. It is not classified as ‘fully unrestricted’ as the funds must be used for humanitarian work. However, Country Offices have a lot of flexibility in HOW they spend these funds in an emergency. Therefore, it is also often referred to as a ‘semi-flexible fund’. In some instances, members may choose to dedicate some unrestricted funding to the 
Emergency Fund, but this can change each year so cannot be relied on for donor reporting.